Page 146 of Incisive

It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to head to the residence to rifle through his clothes because Jordan’s not downstairs with me in my private study for me to simply ask. He’s handling a few things before he leaves to spend the evening with Leo.

The last evening they’ll have alone together before Leo’s sucked into the media maelstrom with me.

I try to focus on my briefing materials because I don’t want Jordan to appear, see me acting so pensive, and he thinks he needs to overrule me and cancel his plans with Leo.

It’s a little before five p.m. when Jordan walks into my private study and closes the door behind him. I start to rise when he motions for me to stay seated at my desk.

“Let the kitchen know before you’re ready to return to the residence,” he says, “and they’ll bring dinner up to you. It’s already ordered.”

“Thanks.” I have a private dining room down here but it feels kind of pretentious using it for only myself. Especially in the evenings.

Also makes it more difficult for me to relax when eating in there if I’m trying to actuallynotwork during my meal.

“Have fun tonight,” I tell him. “Seriously.”

He smiles down at me and ruffles my hair in that playful way he has. “Going to enjoy finally having both of you in bed every night.”

“You sure about that? He won’t let you slide.”

His smile widens to a beaming grin. “Yeah, but he won’t letyouslide, either.”

A delicious shiver rolls through me. “True. You’ll have full-time backup. Be able to take downtime for yourself.”

His smile fades. “This isn’t and never has been a hardship for me, El.” Spooky how he can so accurately read my mind and moods. “I would not have said yes to this if I didn’t want to do it. Iwantto be here,withyou.”

He drapes himself over and around me, hugging me as I bury my face against him and wrap my arms around him. The pattern of our breathing quickly starts to match each other, as it frequently does.

I think he draws as much comfort from these moments as I do.

That is, Ihopehe does.

After several minutes like that he kisses me and finally straightens. “Call me if you need me.”

“I won’t. Call or need you. There won’t be anything so important happening that I’ll have to interrupt the two of you.”

“You can, though.”

I smirk. “Not tonight.”

He returns my smirk. “Not going to back out tomorrow, are you?”

“Hellno.” I stare at the ring on his right hand and think about the two matching ones in the jeweler’s tucked in my desk. Jordan will come down in the morning and grab them while I keep Leo distracted. “Is he still coming back with you later?”

“Yeah. Probably after midnight. Try to get some sleep, huh? Don’t wait up.”

“Oh, that’s not a promise I can make and you know it.”

“I know. Smart-ass.” He brushes one last kiss across my lips before heading out and leaving my study door open behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Casey-Marie enters with a tablet in hand and shuts the door behind her.

I sit back in my chair. “Yes?”

She walks over to the sofa and plops down, setting the tablet next to her on the sofa before casually draping an arm along the back. “You ready for tomorrow?”

“As ready as I can be.”

“Sure you don’t want to call your parents tonight?”